Drowning

The Story

2:30 a.m.

'Do not panic' was the first thing that eighteen-year-old Frank Hardy told himself when his head broke the surface and he gasped in a lungful of air. Shivering, as he realized just how cold the black water was, he tried to orient himself. It was dark and he could just make out the backlights of the boat as it roared away at full throttle.

"JOE!" He shouted, looking around frantically for his brother, but receiving no answer except the distancing sound of the retreating boat.

"JOE!" He yelled again, not willing to believe that the younger boy had drowned. Silence.

"Damnit," he muttered as he spat out a mouthful of salty water, moving his arms and legs to stay afloat, "this isn't good! Not good at all!"

Frank Hardy and his seventeen-year-old brother had been following up on a lead for their father, private investigator Fenton Hardy, when they'd been ambushed in a warehouse at the Bayport Marina and knocked out cold.

When the brothers awoke, they were greeted by the business end of a gun and 'questioned'.

The dark-haired teen winced as he flexed his jaw – it still hurt. His ribs throbbed incessantly, not liking this impromptu soaking, as he suspected they sported interesting shades of bruising by now; his brother hadn't fared any better.

The two men hadn't been pleased with the boys' answers – or rather, lack of answers – and decided to up the ante. But before they could follow through on their threat to shoot Joe, Frank had responded.

While he, himself, had threatened bodily harm to the younger boy on many an occasion, he'd be damned if he'd just stand by and let anyone just shoot him!

Of course things got a little out of hand after that, and during the fray, Frank ended up in the water….

The last thing he saw before going over the side was Joe being overpowered, and had assumed the blond teen was about to join him.

'Apparently not,' he mused as he continued to tread water, weighing his options.

Without a lifejacket and in water not much warmer than 68 °F, the teen knew he had better start moving or else hypothermia was going to be a real concern.

In the dark it was difficult to discern which direction to go; however, as the boat continued moving away from him, Frank decided to swim in the opposite direction, reckoning that that was where they had come from. Either direction was a risky choice; he fervently hoped for some night traffic to spot him!

'Of course,' he thought ruefully, 'they're more likely to run me down than see me!' However he refused to just wait there and either drown, or freeze to death without trying to help himself – if there was one thing neither boy was, it was a quitter.

So Frank swam.

2:45 a.m.:

Fifteen minutes later, he decided this was crazy. If he kept swimming, he would tire himself out and drown long before he was rescued! So stopping, he trod water for a few minutes and wondered what was happening to his brother. The idea of Joe being held captive and mistreated chafed at the older boy, as their prior treatment left no doubt in his mind about how 'concerned' these men were with the Hardys' health.

Frank needed to get to safety as much to tell the police about Joe, as for himself.

'And whose brilliant idea was this, anyway?' Frank mentally grumbled, as his teeth chattered and he was sure his lips were blue, 'We should have spoken to Dad first before going to the marina and into that stupid warehouse…' he paused in thought and grimaced, 'oh yeah. Mine."

Sometimes he wished his brother didn't always go along with his plans so easily! Sure, there were times when Joe came up with the plan or resisted one of Frank's ideas, but more often than not, the younger boy turned to him for ideas and then followed along, no matter how foolhardy they were, in hindsight! 'Oh yeah,' he scowled, 'and wasn't this a doozy of an idea!'

Shoving his soaked dark hair off his forehead, the boy began swimming again.

3:30 a.m.:

'Swimming, swimming, just keep swimming…' Frank mentally chanted as he swam. Stroke after stroke, he tried to distract himself from the increasing burning feeling in his arm muscles.

He couldn't help but think of Dory, the absent-minded blue fish from the movie Finding Nemo. Joe loved that movie and took great pleasure in tormenting him by alternating the swimming quote with screams of 'MINE!' – at the most unexpected times, nevertheless!

Frank paused, taking a short break, and chuckled as he was struck with a very strong memory of himself and Callie sitting in the Hardys' family room last weekend…

They had been engrossed in a movie and never heard Joe come home…big mistake! Joe was waiting – like a piranha – and as soon as Callie got up to leave, he sprang out from behind the door, yelled 'MINE!' and just about gave her a heart attack!

Frank actually laughed as he remembered the look on Joe's face then, when the older boy sprang to his girlfriend's rescue, pinned him down, and tickled him mercilessly until Joe finally managed to squeak out, "Callie is a goddess!" which appeased the petite blond, and Frank let him up.

He had no doubt his brother was still planning some sort of retaliation….

"Hey, little brother," he called out to the black night, "listen to this – swimming, swimming, just keep swimming – my new credo! You'd be proud!" He spit out another mouthful of water and started again, this time at a slower pace.

4:30 a.m.:

Frank was cold. His arms and legs were growing increasingly heavy as tiredness dogged his every movement. It was getting impossible to swim. The last fifteen minutes had been sooo hard…

'Can't keep this up,' he thought even as he stopped again, finding it much more difficult this time to keep his head above water. 'Getting too tired…'

He'd been in the cold water for two hours now with no sign of rescue anywhere. He closed his eyes for a moment and then started when his face went beneath the water.

Sputtering and coughing, he shivered violently and reassessed his situation.

'This isn't going to work,' he thought bleakly, 'I can't swim all the way.' Although tired, he knew that he still had reserves, and given the approximate temperature of the water and his own level of fitness, he was sure he could last another couple of hours before total exhaustion, but after that – he shivered…

Part of the problem was that it was still too dark to make out how much further he had to go to get to land. There were no lights anywhere, and he found this disheartening. Just how far had the kidnappers taken him and Joe before they had regained consciousness? If he was still in Barmet Bay he should see lights, somewhere!

He had been hopeful of night traffic but now he wondered if they were on an obscure route, far from the shipping lanes.

"C-c-crap," he shivered, "th-this j-j-ust k-k-keeps g-g-getting—" 'better', he finished mentally, tired of listening to himself stutter.

'Maybe I should try floating for a while,' he decided and then inhaled sharply as he lay back in the water and the coldness soaked his head and went into his ears. Moving his hands and legs just enough to keep them in motion, he glanced up at the dark night sky and tried to figure out where he was. 'Would help if there were any stars,' he decided but a heavy cloud cover obscured the stellar map, and he sighed. It would appear he was going to be kicked in the teeth every which way!

5:00 a.m.:

'Stupid…unintelligent…dim…thick…dense…slow…dull…brainless…dim-witted…obtuse… yeah I think I like the word obtuse. Those morons who grabbed us were obtuse.' Frank tried to keep his mind busy as he continued to float. He had moved past state capitals and into insulting their captors.

He wondered if his father was looking for them yet – decided he was, but would never find them – and started swimming again.

'Wonder where Joe is right now,' he thought, and then tried to dismiss that idea as he could all too easily envision his brother's fate not being any better than his own; and probably even worse. Yes, Frank was cold and tired, but at least he wasn't being 'questioned' anymore!

'Hang tough, kid,' he tried to mentally project to his brother, 'I'll find you, but you're going to have to give me some time….Seems that tonight is just not my night!'

5:15 a.m.:

'I hate water – can't stand it. In fact, as soon as I'm out of this, I'm never going near the stuff again—" The teen paused as he changed position onto his back again to take a break. 'Hmmm, that will create some new considerations where cleanliness is concerned, though!' He lifted one of his hands from the water and peered at it. Even in the darkness he could tell how shriveled up it was from being in the water for so long.

Two hours and forty-five minutes in a frigid bath – he had more concerns than just wrinkled fingers! Every single part of him was wrinkled! And he wondered absently, if his skin would ever fit right again! He'd probably have to get his new red Speedo taken in! That made him grin, in spite of everything. His mother didn't know about that!

'When the heck is sunrise, anyway?' he asked himself and then paused – did it seem a bit lighter now?

Closing his eyes for just a moment, he decided that it was just his mind.

5:30 a.m.:

'Well', he stated, 'it is most definitely not my mind'. Slowly around him the sun was rising and he started to get an idea of just where he was. To the right of him was land – the coast – and to the left nothing but water; he was somewhere outside Barmet Bay!

Frank felt defeated. He was still hours away from land and with his legs and arms almost completely numb now, he knew there was no way in hell he could swim it. And then what? He'd still have to somehow get help!

The task ahead of him seemed monumental and for one brief moment he considered just giving into the tiredness and going to sleep. Although he knew that if he did, he would drown.

And then he saw a fleeting image again of Joe being overpowered, and it helped strengthen his resolve. He couldn't drown! Joe needed him! With great effort, he forced his arms and legs to move again – he was not going to let these guys win!

6:15 a.m.:

…Hey, big brother…

Frank's head snapped up, he'd almost been asleep! Coughing harshly and gagging, the teen forced his head above water, shaken by how close he had just come to drowning!

"J-Joe?" he sputtered after a moment; he was sure that he'd heard his brother's voice! Could it be? Was Joe out here in the water after all and somehow they had just missed each other? It made sense. Maybe Joe had gotten tossed in sometime after Frank did!

But around him, the new day was bleak…gray and empty. Oh so empty….

'My mind, playing tricks on me…' he thought glumly as he tried to tread water; a task made difficult with his now completely numb arms and legs. It took so much concentration to stay afloat. 'And I always was considered a strong swimmer,' the boy thought bleakly, understating three hours and forty-five minutes of swimming in the cold north Atlantic!

6:30 a.m.:

It had now been exactly four hours since the boy had gotten tossed in the 'drink' and he had no idea how he was even still alive. His arms and legs were completely numb; he had to actually look down to see if they were still there! His mind was befuddled, starting to forget what he was trying to do – swim, swim, swim….He floated for a few minutes, but not very long; afraid he'd fall asleep and quietly slip beneath the gray blanket of water.

It was tempting – he was so tired now…

If he had a life-jacket, things would be different, but he didn't, and had to expend precious energy just to stay afloat. He no longer wondered what had become of his brother. He had one thought: stroke, stroke, stroke…

Rolling back onto his stomach, he did just that – stroke after impossible stroke.

7:15 a.m.:

No matter how hard he tried, it didn't seem to make any difference. The land was not getting any closer.

For a few moments, he stopped and wondered if it was an optical illusion. He had been swimming – he had to be getting closer to it! Didn't he? And then he made a hope-shattering realization as he slowly tread water – the current!

Every time Frank stopped, be it to tread water or to float, the current pushed him back, away from the shore. He had been in essence, swimming on the spot for four hours and forty-five minutes now!

"NOOOO!" he screamed, "NOOOO!"

But it was true. He had swum nowhere!

"N-no," he whispered, hearing his own cries echo over the water, "p-p-please G-G-God, n-n-no…"

He stopped moving – what was the use of fighting it? Slowly his body began to sink beneath the water…

…What the hell do you think you're doing?...

Joe? The boy's head snapped up as he heard his brother's voice again. "JOE!" he called out over the water.

'I can't do this anymore,' he sobbed silently, 'it's too cold…too far…'

…Yes you can…. His brother's voice whispered around him, imploring him not to give up…. You have to, Frank – you just have to!

'Easy for you to say,' Frank thought, gritting his teeth but pressing himself to swim again anyway. He hadn't expected an answer, so he wasn't disappointed when none came.

Glancing down at his diver's watch, he sighed, 'Okay maybe I'll try another fifteen minutes…'

7:30 a.m.:

Frank floated, 'Fifteen more…'

7:45 a.m.:

'And another….'

8:00 a.m.:

Frank was done. His body spent. Five and a half hours in the water – he was exhausted.

Closing his eyes, he let the gray Atlantic pull him under…

And then suddenly, strong arms were grabbing him, propelling him to the surface. Forcing open his eyes he stared in shock – Joe?

Things didn't make sense as Frank heard his brother's voice but couldn't pick out what was being said. Now he felt other hands and the sensation of being lifted – someone tugged at his clothes and then nothing, darkness.

8:00 p.m.:

Frank slowly opened his eyes and stared up at the white ceiling above him. He'd had the strangest dream – he dreamt he was drowning – wait, it was no dream!

Bolting up in the bed, the teen glanced around wildly – his room! He was back in his own room! He looked down at himself – he was no longer wet or cold. Instead, he'd been changed into his pajamas and was burrowed down under a ton of blankets!

"It's for real," a familiar voice said from his side, and he whipped his head around so quickly, he almost gave himself whiplash. "JOE!" he shouted as he looked at the familiar face that he thought he'd never see again!

"Hey bro," the younger boy grinned and then moved to the bed and gave him a tight hug. "You really had me worried for a bit." The older boy heard his brother's voice choke. "I thought I lost you this time, big brother!"

Frank felt his own throat constrict and he didn't say anything; they just remained locked in a tight embrace until the trembling eased. And then slowly – reluctantly – Joe moved away to sit on the side of the bed.

"What happened?" the older boy finally asked, his mind filled with confusing images, none of which made any sense.

Joe shrugged, "Well after you—" he paused and swallowed hard. Frank reached his hand out and the younger boy took it; clung to it. He took a steadying breath and started again, "After you went in, they overpowered me and tossed me into the lifejacket hold. I heard a second boat and then nothing. After a while, I realized they'd left me adrift. For all the good that did, though," he scowled, "I still couldn't get out of the cupboard!" Frank squeezed his hand and the boy shrugged. "After forever I heard someone hailing the boat and shouted for all I was worth. Somehow they heard me and let me out." Joe's eyes were bright. "I told them about you right away…"

"Oh Joe…" Frank closed his eyes and settled back in the bed, still holding his brother's hand, but still exhausted as well. He shivered but not from the cold – there were too many if's running through his mind, each one ending up with him drowning.

"You scared the shit out of me," Joe admitted, "When I saw you go under—" he paused and then grinned, "Mind you, I did the same thing to them when I jumped overboard after you!" He grinned. "You missed out on a hell of a lecture! Coast Guard Captains have a tongue that would make Aunt Gertrude envious!"

Even Frank had to chuckle at the image that brought up. Slowly he opened his eyes and looked at his younger brother – his savior. "Thank you, Joe," he said, squeezing the hand again.

"No problem, Frank," Joe shrugged and then added more seriously, "That's what brothers do." Leaning forward, he shocked Frank when he placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, shook his hand loose and then stood up. "Now rest while you can; come tomorrow I want to get these guys!"

"Damn straight, "the older boy affirmed. "Now it's personal!"

Joe winked and then left the room. As he headed down the stairs, Frank burst out laughing as the words reached his ears: "Swimming, swimming, just keep swimming…"

The End